Converting your overseas licence?
You already know how to drive. Neelu will get you ready for the New Zealand tests — in English, Malayalam, Tamil or Hindi. She converted her own licence, so she knows exactly what the process feels like.
What NZTA requires
- You can drive on your overseas car licence for 18 months from the day you last arrived in New Zealand. From 1 November 2026 that drops to 12 months — after that you need a NZ licence.
- NZTA treats a short list of countries as “exempt”. If yours is not on that list, converting means passing the NZ theory test and a practical driving test — you book the practical test once the theory test is passed.
- Licences from a few non-exempt countries also need evidence that the licence is valid when you apply. NZTA lists which ones.
- You apply at a specialist overseas-conversion site — NZTA lists the locations on its website.
Not sure whether your country is on the exempt list? NZTA publishes it here.
Rules checked against the NZTA website on 18 August 2026. Always confirm your own dates and requirements with NZTA.
How conversion lessons work
Your car or Neelu’s · Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Wellington and Porirua · charged at the standard lesson rates for your area
Assessment drive
A relaxed first session to see where you are. You can already drive — we just find what NZ does differently.
Lessons on NZ road rules and test routes
Give ways, roundabouts, speed zones, and the habits NZ testing officers look for — practised on real local routes.
Mock test before the real one
A full practice run under test conditions, so the real thing already feels familiar when you get there.
Why students choose Neelu for conversions
Lessons in English, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. A female instructor who understands the pressure of starting again in a new country — because she did it too. Patient, structured sessions focused on what NZ testing officers actually look for.